Hey everyone! I'm looking to try out Linux on my high-end laptop, but I want to keep Windows 11 for family subscriptions and my work needs. I've heard mixed things about dual-booting and have some concerns. Will it affect my RAM or storage? How practical is it? I don't want to use a virtual machine either, as I've had rough experiences with them. What are some essential tips or considerations for someone starting out with dual-booting?
5 Answers
KVM on Linux is a different beast compared to what you might be used to on Windows. It can often perform just as well as running directly on your hardware. But if you're set on dual booting, the main downsides are having two OSes taking up space and possibly having Windows take over your boot menu. You can usually fix that by adjusting the boot order in UEFI settings to prioritize your Linux bootloader.
Dual-booting can be great if you're careful about it! Just make sure you're not exclusively relying on one machine for tasks that require stability.
What kind of things do you plan on using Linux for? If it's just general use, I'd recommend starting with Ubuntu or Linux Mint as they are super user-friendly!
If you're just exploring Linux, it might be wiser to get a cheap older laptop for that. You can find one for around $100 and really enjoy the Linux experience without messing with your primary system.
Dual-booting isn’t bad at all! You won’t have performance issues since only one OS is active at any time. Just remember, Windows prefers to be on the first partitions, so leave space at the end of your drive for Linux. Secure boot might require you to sign your Linux bootloader, which is pretty straightforward with terminal commands. For sharing files, it’s tricky because Windows uses NTFS and Linux uses different file systems. You could create an exFAT partition that both systems can access to make file transfers easier.
Yeah, I can’t see a downside to having Linux alongside Windows, unless you need both GPUs for intensive tasks.